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Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
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ClarkKimble
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 12:37 pm

Pol Pothead wrote

It takes a specific and complex skill set to be a competent waiter or waitress.

C'mon, give me a break!
It takes two arms, two legs, a brain, a decent people personality, attention to detail--->probably the most important atribute! and the desire to suceed.
Contrary to CK's blatherings this ain't rocket science! Memorize the draft beers on the menu, memorize the daily specials. Remember to bring the dressing on the side if requested, that kind of stuff.


Nice. Being chastised for a job he never did by a forum poster named "Pothead". The mind reels.
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Sport Billy
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 13:14 pm

Uncle John wrote

FriendOfTheDevil wrote



It was 2 pm and you were really not that busy.

FOTD


Not a good time to eat at a restaurant. It was prob the end of her shift, and she was wanting to go home.

I try not to eat at restaurants between 2-4pm. End of shift for wait and kitchen staff.

You're more likely to get poor service and food during these hours.


True, but it is a shame. Customers deserve good service if its 10 minutes into a shift, an hour in or even 5 minutes before the kitchen closes.

What I really hate about shifts is when your waiter says "Can I cash you out, my shift is ending"

What they are really saying is "Will you tip me now because I can't trust my co-workers to be honest."

Why should the customer be inconvenienced over this issue?
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Pol Pothead
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 13:28 pm
I DID do the job. I had all of 15 minutes of training. I did the job Very Well, I rose to top earner in tips in the establishment I worked at. I regularly won weekly contests as top Cocktail seller. That was an extra $20 cash incentive that made it worthwhile to me and the owner.
It was hard physical labor in that you were on your feet for your whole shift.
But it certainly was NOT complicated work. You had to memorize certain things and you had to be anticpatory to your clientele's needs.
My motto was try to put yourself in the cusomers position. It worked well for me.
Of course there were jerks who would treat you as their personal slave. But there were many more people that just wanted an enjoyable meal with good service. You do the absolute best for all types and shrug off the jerks and PITA's and enjoy the rest.
CK, you need to get that Huge chip off of your shoulder about your miserable life of serving.
I dated chicks while I waited tables and tended bar and never once had anyone belittle me because of it.
I also never had anyone ask me "What else do you do?"
I made good tax-free cash money and they were some of the best, most fun times of my life.
BTW; who would trust someone with a goofball screenname like Clark Kimble? Wasn't that a character on Green Acres?
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Chino
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 13:39 pm

Pol Pothead wrote


BTW; who would trust someone with a goofball screenname like Clark Kimble? Wasn't that a character on Green Acres?


Actually, that was Hank Kimball.


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MACDIDIMAU
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 15:21 pm
Personally I could never work as a waiter/server. I would probably be fired the 1st night for dumping dinner/lunch/drink into some butthole's lap. I treat the server with respect, by name, sometimes asking for their recommendations (which usually are spot on) and if I receive less than adequate service I inform the manager or owner.

I have on more than one occasion been with someone that I work with (typically the boss so it is difficult to comment to his face about his behavior) who treats the server as if they are a serf. I usually find the time to excuse myself from the table ostensibly to go to the men's room, seek out the server, slip him or her a $5, commesurate that the boss is a butthole, and voila I get great service, while hopeing the boss gets a lugy in his veal.
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server31
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 15:38 pm

Sport Billy wrote

Uncle John wrote

FriendOfTheDevil wrote



It was 2 pm and you were really not that busy.

FOTD


Not a good time to eat at a restaurant. It was prob the end of her shift, and she was wanting to go home.

I try not to eat at restaurants between 2-4pm. End of shift for wait and kitchen staff.

You're more likely to get poor service and food during these hours.


True, but it is a shame. Customers deserve good service if its 10 minutes into a shift, an hour in or even 5 minutes before the kitchen closes.

What I really hate about shifts is when your waiter says "Can I cash you out, my shift is ending"

What they are really saying is "Will you tip me now because I can't trust my co-workers to be honest."

Why should the customer be inconvenienced over this issue?


Every serving position I have ever worked you have to do a check out @ the end of your shift. You cannot have any open checks. They are not trying to inconvience, but if you are done and camping out, they are done with everything BUT you, they are just trying to go home. I would only do this if I was positive you needed nothing elese from me, or I would ask someone to keep an eye on you just to make sure.
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TheOtherGeorgeW
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 16:17 pm
I don't understand why it's hard to have a printed list of drinks.
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Santiago
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 08 Nov 2009 19:06 pm

TheOtherGeorgeW wrote

I don't understand why it's hard to have a printed list of drinks.


Agreed. At least a beer/wine list. If there are a dozen or more beers, I want to see a list. A cocktail/drink list can only serve to up-sell anyway. Not sure why places don't have these, unless the bar is so close that I don't have to travel across the restaurant to find out from a bartender.

I spent 10 years in the industry, and it should be expected that you know the beers, know general types of alcohol, and know a little about the bartender's recipes. Recently, I went to a place that supposedly had a good scotch list (they did). When I asked the waitress, she said, "Well, I don't really drink the stuff. I know we have Glenlivet." That's bad training - so I marched up to the bar and checked out the selection myself. The bartender knew his scotch, and I paid a couple extra bucks to try something new. Not a big deal, but the waitress should have known more than scotch's version of Bud Light!
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FriendOfTheDevil
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 09 Nov 2009 06:13 am

TheOtherGeorgeW wrote

I don't understand why it's hard to have a printed list of drinks.


Everyone seems to face focused on the beers. I guess I was MORE surprised that after 20 minutes, I still did not have a menu in my hand nor any attempt to get me one.

Is it that hard when you bring the beer and water, to make sure I have a menu?

20 minutes and no menu?

FOTD
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JMC
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 09 Nov 2009 14:01 pm

Quote

Well, I don't really drink the stuff. I know we have Glenlivet." That's bad training

I agree, that is bad training and a particular pet peeve with me. I worked in the industry for 18 years and have a lot of patience with servers, but when I hear "I don't drink wine (substitute beer, scotch, etc) so I don't know anything" it bugs me. One particular time I had had enough and responded "you do however accept tips on wine, don't you?" The server went and got someone who knew the wine list.
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ClarkKimble
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 09 Nov 2009 18:09 pm
[quote="JMC"]

Quote

Well, I don't really drink the stuff. I know we have Glenlivet." That's bad training


It's also bad training to never let the servers at least taste what they'll be selling. I worked briefly at an alleged "fine dining" (cough, gag, snort) shack where employees were never allowed to sample anything, so if a customer asked about taste, I had to fake it. Real smart.

So, knowing we included a cup of soup to start every entree, I went back into the servers' area one night and took a half cup of a new soup, just to see what it tasted like. Two minutes later, the boss presented me with a bill for the soup...at full appetizer price.
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TheOtherGeorgeW
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Post subject: Re: Waitpersons, is it really that difficult??
Posted: 09 Nov 2009 18:58 pm
I have to assume that place is long gone?
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